Collecting the passages contained in this notebook has been an on-going project for a number of years. It began as parents, teachers, and ministers sent in passages from the Heavenly Doctrines which they believed had special implications for the purpose and definition of New Church education. After a considerable variety of such references had been gathered, the Executive Committee of the Office of Education felt that it would be useful for all New Church educators to have access to the collected passages, for they form much of the ‘Foundation’ for New Church education.
Thanks to the work of Rachel Glenn and Jessica Monhollen, the passages have been divided by topic into a series of twenty-one questions, each with an answering key concept followed by a number of brief quotations. These divisions are intended to make the collection into an easily accessible reference tool. In addition, in putting the notebook together, the choice of which translation to use for each quotation has been made with readability foremost in mind. Both the Swedenborg Foundation and Swedenborg Society translations have been used, occasionally within the same passage.
Because of the importance of these teachings all full time teachers, administrators, and priests active in New Church education are receiving a free copy of this work. Others can purchase a copy from the General Church Book Center or the Office of Education. We hope that this will be only the beginning, however, and that you will send us other topics and passages to share so that the work can develop and grow. There are many areas to explore that need your assistance. As other topics and teachings are collected the notebook will be updated. This collection, then, is intended as a working reference tool for the use of New Church education.
The governing thought that has filled our minds in preparing this work is that the teachings it contains are taken directly from the Word of the Lord. In thinking of the structure and life of New Church education we acknowledge that “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalms 127:1).
INTRODUCTION
Collecting the passages contained in this notebook has been an on-going project for a number of years. It began as parents, teachers, and ministers sent in passages from the Heavenly Doctrines which they believed had special implications for the purpose and definition of New Church education. After a considerable variety of such references had been gathered, the Executive Committee of the Office of Education felt that it would be useful for all New Church educators to have access to the collected passages, for they form much of the ‘Foundation’ for New Church education.
Thanks to the work of Rachel Glenn and Jessica Monhollen, the passages have been divided by topic into a series of twenty-one questions, each with an answering key concept followed by a number of brief quotations. These divisions are intended to make the collection into an easily accessible reference tool. In addition, in putting the notebook together, the choice of which translation to use for each quotation has been made with readability foremost in mind. Both the Swedenborg Foundation and Swedenborg Society translations have been used, occasionally within the same passage.
Because of the importance of these teachings all full time teachers, administrators, and priests active in New Church education are receiving a free copy of this work. Others can purchase a copy from the General Church Book Center or the Office of Education. We hope that this will be only the beginning, however, and that you will send us other topics and passages to share so that the work can develop and grow. There are many areas to explore that need your assistance. As other topics and teachings are collected the notebook will be updated. This collection, then, is intended as a working reference tool for the use of New Church education.
The governing thought that has filled our minds in preparing this work is that the teachings it contains are taken directly from the Word of the Lord. In thinking of the structure and life of New Church education we acknowledge that “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalms 127:1).
Frederick L. Schnarr, Director
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